With the UK in lockdown, our shoot cancelled and no access to players, we had to come up with an innovative, alternative approach to launching the adidas 20/21 Manchester United FC home shirt.

The goal was to generate buzz around the new design of the kit and drive engagement with the core audience of die-hard Manchester United fans.

We told the story of the shirt through the fabric itself, because a shirt is made up of much more than just threads—every stitch is woven from historic moments and carries the weight of past defeats and glory within it.

With the live shoot cancelled, we moved to animation and transformed real footage of iconic moments from Manchester United’s rich history into 3D woven characters. This was coupled with an emotive voice designed to galvanise our main audience of die-hard fans by focusing on ‘what it means to be united.’

By focusing on the unforgettable moments that make up the team’s history, the film demonstrates that this is more than a jersey, it’s a tapestry of memories passed from one generation to the next.

The work was released on adidas and Manchester United’s social channels globally on August 4th 2020 to correspond with the official launch of the 20/21 Manchester United FC home shirt.

The film reached over 1 million views in 7 days, with a reach of over 40 million.